Your right, it feels the same, but a standard telephone jack is an RJ11 
using 4 pins.
I believe the RJ12 has 6 or more pins...
The jacks/plugs may be of similar size and shape, but they're certainly not 
the same jack.
SO I don't think you can just take a regular old phone extension cord and 
use it to connect the head to the body of the radio.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
-----Original Message----- 
From: Howard Kaufman
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 1:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Kenwood TS-480SAT remote head operation

Wrong wrong wrong.
The head connects to the ts-480 with an rj12 cable.
The connectors on both ends feel like the modular jacks used on a phone.
The rj45 connector on the front of the radio is for the microphone.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matthew Chao" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: Kenwood TS-480SAT remote head operation


> The control head uses an RJ45 cable/connector to the main body.  At
> the other end of the radio itself is a Molex (I think that's what
> it's called) connector which in turn plugs into a cable going to
> either a 12VDC connection a.k.a. battery or a base power
> supply.  Believe the control head activates a relay which turns on
> the radio.  Hope this helps.--Matt, N1IBB.
>
> At 01:51 PM 1/30/2015 -0330, you wrote:
>>Hi all:=20
>>
>>I know there's a couple of TS-480SAT users on the list so I gotta =
>>question about the remote head.=20
>>How does it receive its power if you have the 2 units separated? Is =
>>there a separate power connecter that you plug into the 12 volt =
>>accessory plug in the car?=20
>>Perhaps there's just enough voltage carried over the cable with the =
>>RJ-11 cable to power the head? Is this how all the sep kits work =
>>including the Icom IC-706?=20
>>
>>73:=20
>>Mike DE VO1AX=20